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An IT expert has his world destroyed when his family is kidnapped by a ruthless criminal. His only chance of saving them is to outwit the kidnappers and steal from the bank heís spent his life protecting.

IS IT A GOOD MOVIE?

The problem with Harrison Ford as an actor is that his choices in movies have become so predictable that itís hard to tell when one begins and the other ends. Mr. Ford has become the king of portraying the reluctant-hero and in FIREWALL, he plays the same guy heís played 20 times before. Even so, Harrison Ford has such a great screen presence that itís nice to see him on the big screen, even if you know what heís about to do and say.

Thatís not to say that FIREWALL was a bad movie. It wasnít bad at all. In fact, I was actually impressed with the directing job of Richard Loncraine. He did a fine job, but the script was too predictable and the whole thing felt like the 2006 version of THE NET. The relationship between his family and the kidnappers was the most interesting part of the film and that was just briefly touched on and never explored. The focus was on Fordís character (of course) and like I said, that part was predictable. I also had a tough time buying Paul Bettany as a criminal. He just didnít pull it off and the whole time I wanted Virginia Madsen to bitch slap him across the room.

This is a very smooth movie. It doesnít throw any curves at you and all the minor characters remain minor throughout the duration of the film. Thereís nothing original or exciting in this one and its only saving grace is Harrison Ford and the quality of direction from Mr. Loncraine. I still suspect Ford fans will enjoy it and itís a nice film to tide us over until the next Indiana Jones film.

THE EXTRAS

Firewall Decoded (15:25): Harrison Ford and Richard Loncraine sit in a room and talk about the film. I liked hearing them talk, but the cut scenes were completely unnecessary. Given the lack of commentary or other decent special features, this is a decent addition for fans of the film.

Firewall: Writing a Thriller (3:15): The writer talks about his motivations for the film. This is too short to be too interesting. The only interesting thing here is that he had himself kidnapped so he could relate to his characters. I wonder if the people who write porn movies do the same kind of thing?

There are also some Previews.

FINAL DIAGNOSIS

Despite its problems, this film will keep you entertained throughout. Youíll find yourself rooting for Harrison Ford as always and even though you know where heís going, itís fun to watch Mr. Ford get there.